Monday Money Matters

First, a note on the passing of former Chiefs head coach and renowned special teams guru Frank Gansz. When I was named the first general manager of the Barcelona Dragons in the NFL’s World League in 1991, I was advised to talk to a lot of up-and-coming assistant coaches about being our head coach. I interviewed people like Pete Carroll, Tony Dungy and Dick Jauron about the position, and although they were all intrigued by the opportunity to spread football to the Spanish population, they ultimately declined to join me in Spain. 

One man who truly wanted the job was Frank Gansz. I met and spent a day with Gansz and was immediately impressed with his character, resolve and discipline-oriented style forged from his military background. More than anything, I came away thinking I had just met a very good man – a good coach, a good husband and a good father. In the end, I chose former Boston College coach Jack Bicknell – another prince of a man – to be our coach (Jack went on to be the most successful coach in the history of the World League), but I will never forget Gansz. We lost a good coach and, more importantly, a first-class person…

Leroy Hill’s situation with the Seahawks has proved a cautionary tale for other players in similar circumstances. Soon after drafting linebacker Aaron Curry as the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft – positioning Curry for a contract with at least $25 million guaranteed – the Seahawks removed the Franchise tag from linebacker Hill, shedding the $8.3M tender amount from their Salary Cap. The Seahawks gained some much-needed breathing room with eight months of potential shopping still left in 2009, raising their available Cap room from around $6M to over $14M. 

Now, Hill and the Seahawks have negotiated a six-year contract with a guaranteed $15.5M.  Sounds good, but Hill probably wishes he had signed his tender. Had he done so, he would have been guaranteed $8.3M this year, and were he to have another banner year, would be a free agent next March (assuming a new Collective Bargaining Agreement) rather than being a free agent now in May when most teams have spent their budgeted resources in free agency.  Otherwise, Hill could have been tagged as a Franchise player again next year with a 20-percent increase on his tender, or 10M. Thus, instead of a feasible $18.3M guaranteed over the next two years prior to becoming an unrestricted free agent, he is now receiving $15.5M guaranteed and is locked up through 2014.

How could the Seahawks do this?  Well, Hill – for reasons that are unclear -- had not signed his tender at the time of the Curry pick, and the Seahawks decided to make the move. Some other of this year’s Franchise players chose to respond differently to the tag. Matt Cassel signed his tender with the Patriots within minutes of having it placed on him, thereby ensuring a guaranteed $14.65M for this year. Others, like Hill, did not. Perhaps he didn’t want to attend any mandatory team activities, as all signed players must do, a strategy employed for many years by another Seahawk, Walter Jones, who would routinely not sign his tender until the week prior to the season, and in use now by players who would rather not be where they are, such as Julius Peppers (Carolina) and Dunta Robinson (Houston).

Well, guess what happened in the days following the Seahawks’ rescinding of the Tag on Hill?  Three franchise players suddenly walked into their teams’ front offices and signed their franchise tenders, thereby guaranteeing their 2009 compensation. Perhaps fearful of the Hill scenario, Darren Sproles of the Chargers, Shayne Graham of the Bengals and Bo Scaife of the Titans have now become signed players due guaranteed compensation of the amount of their one-year contracts, as they are no longer simply tendered with a Franchise Tag. The Leroy Hill lesson learned.

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